Despite my lovely knack for sinking my teeth into 100-hour-long JRPGs when I find myself wanting some time to game, the Disgaea series is one that managed to intimidate me, largely after hearing firsthand accounts from fans who have managed to literally put thousands of hours into the games.

Fans of the series, as well as curious onlookers, know the Disgaea series to be synonymous with hardcore grinding that feeds into an obsession with stats and numbers, but I was surprised to find that Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten isn’t arcane or unapproachable. On top of that, the game managed to wholly endear itself to me, elevating it to a level much higher than a typical niche time sink.